Authors: Annette Marie
Assuming she made it back alive. If Vejovis wasn’t there ...
She really didn’t like the idea of Ash and Lyre coming with her. Both had been insistent, even though they were Underworld daemons; they didn’t know any more about the Overworld than she did. Aside from moral support, she didn’t see how useful they’d be.
Sighing, she pressed her thumb to her armguard over the hidden spider bite—an ugly swollen lump the size of a walnut. Ugh. She would have been angry at Ash for putting a partial sleeping spell on her, except it had been the right thing to do. The bite was a hell of a lot better than the pain of her headache, but she’d been too panicked to see that. Her record for keeping her composure lately was abysmal.
She was already counting down to when the venom would wear off. Two hours of her precious forty-eight were already gone.
Unable to hide in the small room any longer—the others were probably already waiting in the larger room down the hall—she turned toward the door, only to see someone already opening it. She was expecting it to be Ash or Lyre coming in to see what was keeping her. When she saw who came through the door, her face paled.
Seiya, the very person she’d been hiding from, stalked straight for Piper with icy fury in her black eyes.
“After everything I’ve said,” she snarled, bearing down on Piper. “After everything I’ve told you.”
Piper held her ground as Seiya stopped practically on her toes.
“I can’t believe you,” Seiya hissed. “Why are you doing this?”
“I—”
“You don’t need Ash! You don’t need his help! Why are you trying to get him killed?”
“I’m not—”
“You’re bringing him with you into one of the most dangerous territories in the Overworld.
The Overworld!
We’re Underworld daemons. What use will he be in the Overworld? Are you too selfish to leave him behind?”
“I didn’t ask him to come!”
“You’re not stopping him either!” Seiya yelled.
“How am I supposed to stop him?” she shouted back. “I already told him he didn’t need to come, that I’d be fine with Miysis and his guys. He won’t listen!”
“You aren’t trying hard enough!”
“What else am I supposed to do?”
Seiya leaned in even closer. “You told him he didn’t have to come. You didn’t tell him you don’t
want
him to come.”
“What difference—”
“It makes all the difference!” Her eyes went from midnight blue to pitch black. “You say, ‘Don’t come, Ash, don’t come,’ but your body language says, ‘I want you with me so badly. I can’t do this alone. I
need
you with me!’ Of course he’ll listen to that instead of your half-hearted protests!”
“I did not—”
Seiya threw up her hands and turned away. She stalked two steps then spun back again. “You don’t even realize the signals you’re sending. God, humans are stupid.”
Piper balled her hands into fists, fury from the insult nearly choking her. “You—”
“Do you actually care about him?” Seiya demanded.
“Of course I—”
“Then convince him to stay behind!” Seiya pointed at the door. “Go out there and convince him. Tell him you don’t want him to come. That you can’t stand the sight of him. Tell him he terrifies you and you never want to see him again. Whatever it takes.
Stop him.
”
Piper stared at her. After a long moment, she shook her head. “No.”
“What?”
“I won’t manipulate him. He can make his own decisions.”
Seiya bared her teeth. She was shaded—really shaded. Seiya would protect her brother from any danger, and right now, Piper was that danger.
The draconian girl took a step toward Piper, magic making the air around her sizzle. The door to the room opened a second time. Seiya whirled around, hands raised and ready to cast lethal magic.
Lyre leaned on the doorframe, as cool as ever. Shadows gathered in his golden eyes as he assessed them.
“Afternoon, ladies,” he said calmly. “Must you fight? You’re both far too lovely for scars.” A half-smile curved his lips and his voice took on a purring note. “If you’re feeling so feisty, perhaps I can help you expend your energy in a more pleasant manner.”
Piper inhaled deeply as tingles ran across her skin and warmth gathered in her belly. Aphrodisia. Lyre was using aphrodisia to diffuse Seiya’s anger. That didn’t seem like a smart idea, but at least Seiya wasn’t on the verge of attacking
her
anymore.
Seiya dropped her aggressive pose and folded her arms across her chest. “Mind your own business.”
“I am. But everyone is waiting, so ...”
Casting a killer glare over her shoulder at Piper, Seiya stalked out. She deliberately slammed her shoulder into Lyre’s on her way by.
Piper exhaled shakily once she was gone.
“You okay?” Lyre asked, crossing the room to her. “You’re white as a sheet.”
“I’m fine,” she mumbled.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Maybe later. Everyone is waiting.” She flapped her hands like she was shaking water off them. Her skin was tingling in a very delicious sort of way that really made her want his hands on her body. “Wow. Could you have gone a little easier on the aphrodisia?”
“Ah, well, didn’t want to take any chances.”
Piper stilled. “Was Seiya really going to attack me?”
Lyre’s eyes were somber. “I think she was. You need to be more careful around her.”
Exhaling, she took his arm and led him to the door. “Let’s go visit the Overworld.”
“I’ve always wanted to see it,” he said, cheerful again in a blink. “I don’t have any spray paint though.”
“Spray paint?”
“I’ve always wanted to paint ‘Overworlders Suck’ on the side of a mountain and see how long it took them to notice.”
She rolled her eyes as they joined the others in the main room. Seiya was skulking behind Ash, Zala in her arms. Zwi sat on Ash’s shoulder, watching the room with alert golden eyes. Ash absently stroked her side, looking vaguely disconcerted as he glanced at his sister. Piper was suddenly struck by the thought that, though they loved each other as profoundly as any siblings, Ash didn’t actually know Seiya that well. They’d been apart for years, seeing one another only from a distance. They’d probably been very close before their separation, but he’d spent only the last two months with the grown-up Seiya, who might very well be a completely different person from the child he once knew.
Miysis stepped into the middle of the group as soon as Piper and Lyre had joined them. He’d changed from his business chic outfit into gear very similar to the rest of theirs—neutral colors and light armor. He wore a sword and several wicked curved daggers.
“We’ll be travelling to the ley line shortly. Once we’re in the Overworld, it will be about twelve hours of hard travel to reach Vejovis’s home. We will stay there for the night, then travel back to the ley line.
“Before we go, there are some rules I need to establish. First, we stay together. No wandering off. No adventures. The ryujin territory is not a place where you would want to find yourself alone.
“Secondly, if you do get separated from the group, stay where you are. We’ll find you.
“And lastly, don’t touch anything. Some plants in the Overworld are poisonous and we can only carry antidotes for the most common. Some don’t have antidotes. Keep your skin covered and don’t touch any plants, flowers, or fungi.”
Lyre nudged Piper with his elbow. “And watch out for spiders.”
She scowled at him.
“We will be accompanied by four of my men.” He gestured to the four Ra daemons standing off to one side—all blond, green-eyed, and very muscular—before turning to Ash and Seiya. His expression hardened. “By coming, you put Piper and the success of this mission at greater risk. Do you still insist on accompanying us?”
Seiya shot Piper a threatening look, and Piper knew she was supposed to jump in and tell Ash she didn’t want him to come. But she wouldn’t lie; she did want him to come. Besides, she didn’t fully trust Miysis and definitely didn’t want to be alone with him.
“We’re coming,” Ash replied.
“Fine,” Miysis said flatly, turning away. “But I am not responsible for your fate. Let’s get this done.”
He strode out of the room, toward the elevators, his men following behind. Piper fell into step beside Lyre, glad she would have him as a buffer between her and Seiya during the trip. When she’d first met Seiya, she’d thought maybe they could be friends. But now the feel of Seiya’s eyes on her back made her skin prickle with nervousness, and she honestly wondered what the greater danger was: their upcoming journey, or Seiya’s fierce determination to eliminate any threat to her brother.
. . .
The cars dropped them off at what looked to Piper like a random spot along the highway. She watched as the drivers turned the vehicles around and drove about fifty yards back to a small opening off the side of the road where they parked. They would wait there until Miysis and the rest of them returned.
Lyre stood beside her. He’d kept close to her since her confrontation with Seiya, not leaving any openings for another argument to erupt between them. Perhaps by mutual agreement with Lyre, Ash was staying close to Seiya, doubling the buffer.
Piper gave her head a little shake. During her two months at Westwood, she’d frequently doubted her decision to go to the school instead of staying with Ash. But if this was what it would have been like, she was glad she had made the responsible decision.
“This way,” Miysis said, leading them straight into the trees.
At first, Piper thought he was walking right into the bushes, but after a few steps into the shady undergrowth, she recognized the faint trail he was following. As they walked, her nervousness grew, but at least she didn’t have a blinding headache to deal with. She hoped Miysis’s guess was right and Vejovis was actually at home. If he wasn’t, they’d be making this long, dangerous trip for nothing. It was too bad telephones didn’t exist in the Overworld. It was travel to talk to someone, or don’t talk to them at all.
Ahead of her, Ash walked behind Seiya, Zwi riding on his shoulder. The dragonet usually hid when there were strangers around, but he must have told her to stay close. Otherwise no one in the group would have been able to spot her.
Ten more minutes into the forest and the trees thinned out, allowing the group to break single file. Lyre trotted up beside her, flashing her a grin when she glanced at him. Her stomach did one of those inevitable swoops; he was just that gorgeous.
“Hey, beautiful. Stop looking so glum. Aren’t you the one who loves adventure?”
“I prefer my adventures to be a little less life-and-death, you know.”
“All my adventures are life and death,” he replied with a shrug.
She studied him, again remembering the deadly black stare in his stunning face when she’d glimpsed him without his glamour. He was only too happy to let everyone think he was a pushover. Samael’s soldiers certainly hadn’t had any idea how deadly he was. She would never again make the mistake of assuming he, or any daemon, was an easy foe.
He grinned mischievously. “All your adventures lately have been life and death too. Maybe secretly, that’s how you like it.”
She snorted.
“Is there anything else you secretly like that you want to share with me?” His tone left no question as to what sort of undisclosed preferences he was asking about.
She rolled her eyes. “
Lyre
.”
He chuckled, and they walked in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. “So ... want to tell me what’s going on between you and Seiya?”
Piper glanced at the two draconians. They were speaking quietly and far enough ahead that they probably couldn’t hear her or Lyre.
“Seiya is blaming me for Ash putting himself in danger to protect me,” she whispered.
“Ah. I thought it might be something like that.”
“Lyre ...” She took a deep breath and forced the words out. “I’m afraid she might kill me to protect him.”
She’d expected Lyre to scoff. Panic plunged into her belly when he nodded.
“You should be afraid.”
“Are you serious?”
“Very.” He leaned his head closer and lowered his voice. “Seiya isn’t like Ash. They fight their battles in completely different ways.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ash faces every challenge head on. If he can’t plow directly through his enemies, he’ll sneak up on them from behind. But when he wants something done, he goes straight for it. Although he’s capable of subtlety, he’s not a subtle guy.”
“No, not really.”
“Well, Seiya is the opposite. She learned how to get the results she wants at Samael’s feet. Think about what that means.”
Piper licked her lips. “She doesn’t attack problems head on like Ash.”
“No, she doesn’t. She circles the problem and snips bits out here, cuts out bits over there, then stands back and watches as the whole thing implodes. She may be a draconian, but she is a daughter of Hades.”
Piper exhaled shakily. Seiya had done a very good job of cutting the ground out from under her. First driving home that Piper and Ash didn’t belong together. Then preying on Piper’s desire to protect Ash from danger. Then threatening Piper’s life when it became clear the first two hadn’t worked. What would Seiya do next? There wasn’t much left short of actual violence.
“Shit,” she whispered. “Does Ash know she’s so dangerous?”
Lyre’s face hardened with quiet pain. “I don’t know. He won’t talk to me. He keeps shutting down, closing off ... slipping into this state like ...”
“Like Raum.”
They exchanged anxious looks.
The last time Piper had seen Raum, he’d been on the floor in a pool of blood from the wounds she’d given him using the Sahar. She wasn’t entirely sure whether he’d survived, but since Vejovis had been there to heal him, she was hoping he had.
Raum had been Samael’s slave for his entire life, and his spirit had been broken a long time ago. He was cold, detached, and unswervingly obeyed Samael’s every command. It was like his soul had died, leaving just a body to obey and a mind bereft of emotion. The thought of Ash dying inside like that terrified her.